As Bailey walked past Julia, the disdain in her eyes made it clear to Julia what was going on.
Julia knew she couldn't escape this.
She had always expected to face such challenges before she could spread her wings fully.
Clenching her fists secretly, she also walked toward the lakeside.
She hoped the filming would go smoothly.
But with Bailey around, that was impossible.
In this scene, Bailey was supposed to slap Julia.
Bailey approached Assistant Director Nick. "Assistant Director Nick, should I really slap her or just fake it?"
Assistant Director Nick caught the meaning in Bailey's eyes immediately. "Of course, you should really slap her. As actors, we must be dedicated to our craft."
Julia was standing right there.
Assistant Director Nick's mention of "dedication" was clearly meant for her to hear.
Finally, the scene began.
Georgia, dressed in a luxurious pink gown, stood beside Tiffany, who wore a plain white dress.
One stood tall and proud, while the other seemed utterly humble.
Georgia scoffed, "You think you can compete with me for General Miles?"
"I wouldn't dare, Princess. I have no intention of competing with you for General Miles. It's just that I grew up with him..."
Smack! A stinging slap landed squarely on Tiffany's face.
Julia felt a burning pain, momentarily forgetting even the ache in her lower abdomen.
Bailey had put all her strength into that slap.
"Sorry, Director, I got a bit too carried away!" Bailey apologized sincerely.
"It's alright, let's do it again. Everyone, get ready, action!"
With the director's command, the scene was reset.
"Oh, I slapped too slowly!"
"I'm really sorry, I forgot my lines!"
"Director, please give me another chance. I promise I'll get it right next time!"
Each time Bailey slapped Julia, she always found a reason for a retake. Assistant Director Nick seemed to be lenient today, unusually patient.
Julia's face soon swelled up, and she became numb to the pain. Only then did Assistant Director Nick approve the scene, moving on to the next one, which involved a dive into the water.
After being humiliated by Georgia, Tiffany felt so ashamed that she decided to jump into the river.
In this scene, Tiffany had a monologue. After the princess left, Tiffany was to deliver her lines alone and then jump into the river.
Tiffany's eyes were filled with tears that refused to fall. She bit her lip so hard it seemed like she might draw blood.
The emotion she conveyed was so intense that many onlookers couldn't help but feel a deep sense of sorrow.
"Why is fate so unfair? Does Tiffany really have to degrade herself like this? She might as well be dead!"
Tiffany took a deep breath and then turned around, jumping straight into the river.
As her body hit the icy water, she felt an overwhelming coldness, as if the water was sucking all the warmth out of her.
There were people in the river to catch her, and Julia was brought back to the shore.
Assistant Director Nick shook his head. "Dry off your clothes. This take won't do. We need more emotion!"
Hearing Assistant Director Nick's words, Julia felt like she had been struck by lightning.
Jump again?
It was May, and although the weather was warming up, it wasn't summer yet. Even in summer, the water would still be cold!
And now, the water was even colder!
To make matters worse, Julia was on her period!
"What are you standing around for? Don't waste time!"
Bailey stood nearby, smirking with her arms crossed, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
Julia had no choice. She quickly dried her clothes and prepared for a second take.
She could only muster all her acting skills as she resolutely, yet reluctantly, jumped into the water once more. This time, she felt as though all warmth had left her body, replaced by a bone-chilling cold.
Shivering uncontrollably, she climbed ashore. Without an assistant, there was no one to attend to her, but a kind-hearted crew member draped a coat over her shoulders.
"Assistant Director Nick, was that okay this time?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"Do you think it was okay? What kind of expression was that? I need you to be more emotional! Do you not understand human language?!" Assistant Director Nick exploded once again.
Some of the crew members felt sorry for Julia, but as they were directly under Assistant Director Nick's command, no one dared to speak up.
The other actors watched the scene unfold with glee, thinking that the woman who had slept her way to a contract was finally getting her comeuppance. They laughed heartily.
Julia's lips had turned pale, and the makeup artist hurried over to touch up her makeup.
"Julia, you better do this right! So many people are here just to serve you for this scene! Who do you think you are?"
Assistant Director Nick shouted angrily.
"I understand," Julia replied softly.
With another splash, she jumped into the river again!
But the result was still unsatisfactory.
Julia ended up jumping into the river five times.
Yet, she still couldn't meet Assistant Director Nick's expectations.
For the last time, she felt her body slowly sinking into the water, shivering from the cold, completely drained of strength.
The staff quickly pulled her out.
But as they lifted her out, Julia lay on the edge of the pool, her white dress stained!
A small patch of bright red blood!
Some of the actors couldn't help but laugh. A girl getting her period and showing bloodstains—how embarrassing!
"Look at her, she got blood all over the costume! Oh my, how humiliating!"
"If it were me, I'd want to crawl into a hole and disappear!"
"Yeah, yeah, she messed up the costume, hahaha."
The mocking voices of the actors echoed around.
Bailey smirked even more, thinking, Julia, you're too naive to compete with me!
The men on set glanced awkwardly at the small bloodstain on Julia's backside, some of them even chuckling.
Julia probably guessed what had happened, but her body felt so heavy, she couldn't care less!
Her body felt weightless, as if her legs had no strength at all, and she couldn't even stand.
"Julia, you stained the costume! How are we supposed to shoot this scene now? Tell me, how? Are you trying to ruin everything on purpose?"
Assistant Director Nick's cursing voice rang out once again.
A concerned staff member helped Julia up from the shore. The bloodstains on her body were glaringly obvious, especially against her white clothes. With the water spreading it, the small patch quickly turned into a noticeable blotch.
Julia's teeth chattered, and she couldn't utter a single word.
"Bring the spare costume! Julia, this is your last chance. If you mess up again, you're out of here!" Assistant Director Nick's harsh voice cut through the air.
Some staff members silently cursed, wondering if Nick's heart was made of stone. But the actors knew better; Assistant Director Nick was from Artis International and was clearly trying to curry favor with Bailey.
Julia bit her lip, fully aware she was being bullied but powerless to fight back.
She cursed herself silently, wondering why she couldn't be stronger. Why couldn't she?
"Alright!" she agreed.
It was her only choice.
This was an opportunity she had fought hard to get. There was no way she could let it slip away.
Moreover, she needed this role, she needed the paycheck from this movie. She needed it desperately.